#kid!keith

Summary: Keith + rejuvenation tea apparently = eight-year-old child who is understandably suspicious of Lance and his new surroundings and like his older counterpart also really seems to like knives. This is going to be a fun afternoon.

Timeline notes: season one or two

Warning notes: none

Read it on AO3 here! Or you can read it below. Feel free to leave a comment ♥

xxx

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Lance tried not to stare.

Keith — or a small, kid-sized version of him that Lance was guessing was maybe six — had no such qualms, glaring at Lance and clenching a kitchen knife in a white-knuckled, shaking grip and the reason why Lance had not yet tried to approach as getting stabbed by a mini mullet was not how he’d seen his day going.

“Who are you?” Keith demanded, answering Lance’s question that the “rejuvenation tea” that apparently had very different effects on Galrans than humans and Alteans had not just shrunk Keith but turned him into a kid with his kid memories. “Where’s P-Pop?”

And despite the hot anger it was painfully clear that Keith was terrified and Lance felt his heart twist because no kid should ever sound that scared.

“Keith,” Lance spread his hands, “list—”

“How do you know my name?” Keith interrupted, only more freaked out.

Lance could try to weave a story with what little he knew — and he didn’t know much at all, did he, about his prickly teammate? — and make it convincing.

Or, given the fact even as a kid Keith was suspicious, on edge, and no doubt very dangerous with a knife even as a kid, he could try the truth.

It’d sound like a story anyway.

“I’m Lance. We’re friends,” Lance said. Or, well, close enough, and maybe this would be the thing that propelled them to that. “Teammates,” he said, as at least that was slightly more honest to their relationship. “You drank something that turned you into a little six-year—”

“I’m eight!” Keith protested hotly and Lance’s eyes widened.

Tiny kid.

He wisely chose not to say that.

“A little eight-year-old,” he smoothly corrected, “because we’re up in space and there’s lots of weird things up here.”

“Space?” Keith repeated with a small scowl. “That’s impossible. You’re,” he stabbed the knife in Lance’s direction, hand still trembling, “a liar. And, and a kidnapper.”

Ouch.

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Still, at least Keith was well briefed on stranger danger so Lance couldn’t really fault him. It did sound pretty out there.

And wait until he heard the rest.

“Am not,” Lance fired back, keeping his tone light. “We’re in space on a flying alien castle, friends with an alien princess and we pilot ships shaped like lions. Oh, and we eat goo.”

Keith gaped at him, the knife lowering ever so even as he shook his head in disbelief.

“I’ll show you,” Lance said with a smile. “Just put the knife down—” Keith’s grip tightened on it, “—or just don’t stab me with it,” Lance amended, “and follow me.”

And saying so he pivoted on his foot and walked slowly out of the kitchen.

A few seconds later hesitant footsteps followed and Lance grinned to himself.

“This doesn’t look like a castle,” Keith said as he followed Lance into the hallway, although his words were less angry and more unsure as he glanced at the smooth, chrome walls and teal lights and designs.

“Yeah, the inner hallways like this aren’t much,” Lance agreed, heading toward a corridor junction. “But,” he swept his arm out at a spot around the corner, “take a look at that view.”

Keith edged closer, keeping a wary distance from Lance, but turned in the direction indicated.

And Lance’s smile softened as Keith’s mouth dropped as he took in the floor-to-ceiling window that looked out into the vastness of space; stars studding the sky and a small planet visible in the distance.

The knife dropped a second later with a dull clatter as Keith took a stumbling step forward, pressing both hands up against the glass, all fear and suspicion replaced with awe.

“Space,” he whispered, shaking. “It’s, it’s really space.”

“Amazing, isn’t it?” Lance asked softly, garnering a mute nod.

And when Keith pulled his gaze from the window a few seconds later it was like looking at a different kid, a different Keith. There was a sparkle in his eye, a flush of excitement to his cheeks and he was no longer eyeing Lance like a threat.

“So,” he said, scuffing his toe, “if, if that’s really space and you’re really my friend,” to which Lance gave a small nod and he hoped that was so, “then… then this is real?”

“All of it,” Lance smiled and this he could handle until the effects of the tea wore off.

“And I’m… I’m a pilot? Of a spaceship?

“Not just a spaceship,” Lance wagged his finger. “You’re the pilot of the Red Lion, or Red as we call her for short. Say,” he grinned, as though the idea had just occurred to him, “do you want to meet her?”

Keith looked like he was about to faint as he squeaked out a, “Y-yes!”

Lance chuckled. “Then follow me.”

Keith didn’t follow though.

He walked step in step with Lance, questions about space, piloting, what did the goo taste like, what did aliens look like, peppering the air.

And this, Lance decided, was their best bonding moment yet.

xxx

Rating: G Pairing: Keith/Shiro Word count: 1289 

Shiro bounced on his toes, clinging to his dad's hand. "Can we go get popsicles first, Dad? Please?"

Dad ruffled his hair. "Sure thing, kid."

Shiro grinned up at him. "I'm going to get a red one. Red's my favorite."

"Just the one," his dad said. "Your mom will get mad if you ruin your dinner."

Shiro nodded, but he was already searching the crowd for the popsicle truck. He'd been saving up his allowance all month for the Fourth of July fair, and he was ready to spend it.

His dad let him wait in line by himself, but Shiro could see him sitting at the tables near the popsicle truck. He felt very big, waiting in line alone with the other adults and big kids.

He looked around to wave at his dad when he noticed another boy standing off to the side, staring up at the popsicle truck longingly. His clothes were baggy, like they were hand-me-downs. Shiro understood that; his hand-me-downs from his cousin were always too big at first.

The other boy kept staring at the popsicle truck, and then finally hunched his shoulders and turned away. Shiro looked around for the boy's parents, but didn't see anyone. He really looked like he was alone.

Well, that just wasn't right. Shiro gave up his place in line and walked over to the boy. "Hi! I'm Shiro. Well, Takashi, but everyone calls me Shiro. What's your name?"

The boy gaped up at him, eyes huge. "Keith," he finally said.

Shiro pointed back to the popsicle truck. "Do you want a popsicle?"

Hello! This is the anon from earlier who sent an ask about Keith’s background (Single Dad Shiro au) and I actually stumbled upon one of your old one-shots where you explained it! So feel free to ignore my earlier request if you’d like! :)

Hey there nonny! So here’s a quick little fic just for you! I’m sure you found the ask here, where I talked about Keith’s past life with his mother. It was relatively short and Keith wouldn’t remember any of it but your ask inspired me to write about if Keith found out what his mother had done. So I hope you like it and thanks for submitting your ask and being so kind!

x.V.x

Keith knew his life was better with Shiro.

He also knew that he wouldn’t want to live any other life, than with his daddy.

But that didn’t mean he wasn’t curious about what his life had been like. All he remembered and knew was that Shiro was his father, and that Keith was a Shirogane as long as he could remember. Though, the older Keith got, the more he was curious about his mother. At the age of thirteen, Keith was starting to change and figure out his way in the world. He loved his dad and he always would for as long as he lived but, there was still those questions that burned in the back of Keith’s mind. What had his birth parents been like? Had they been alright? Had they been nice?

Keith could vaguely remember a time when he had been seven-years-old when a woman from Korea had called their house and frightened not only him but also his daddy, and Keith had not been okay with it. Once Keith had learned that it was his birth mother, he’d been even more confused and angry that his daddy was so upset and frightened. He couldn’t believe the nerve of her, and had sworn her out of his life, because Shiro was all that he needed.

All that he wanted.

Except, as Keith got older, he couldn’t get that memory out of his mind. His mother had been alive and still was, meaning she didn’t die. Instead, she must have abandoned Keith as a baby and Keith didn’t know why. Had she known he was to be diagnosed with autism? Did she think he was a problem child?

Dark thoughts such as that flooded through Keith’s mind for months after he first began to rethink about his mother. For months a newfound hatred for the woman grew, and while Keith always considered himself blessed to have Shiro as his father, he was only the more thankful that he lived with Shiro and not his mother. He began to resent and hate the woman that had given life to him, and spent days imagining why she had given up her child and none of the outcomes were positive. Keith was able to keep up with his dark hatred for the woman whom he had never met, but slowly, Keith found the hatred burning out.

Until there was nothing left.

Leaving him colder than before.

Why didn’t she want me? Was she in trouble? For the next few months, Keith imagined that his mother had struggled financially. He imagined that it was only in her best interests to give Keith up for a better life, and that she had specifically chosen Shiro for his kind heart and bravery. He hoped that she had seen Shiro’s bright soul and hopeful smile and fallen in love with the young man from the army, just as Keith had grown to love his daddy over the years. After thirteen-years-old, he still couldn’t get over how lucky he was to have Shiro.

Keith would always love Shiro.

But…

He couldn’t help but wonder.